SKS Semi Automatic Rifle

SKS carbines could be fitted with either a blade or spike
pattern bayonet, although some users preferred to remove the
bayonet entirely. SN 7055461

Soviet automatic rifles are most often associated with Mikhail
Timofeyevich Kalashnikov and his famous AK-47 rifle. These are the
most commonly-encountered military arms in the world, having served
as the standard battle rifle of the Soviet Union and her Warsaw
Pact allies, as well as the People's Republic of China, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of
Vietnam, and many of the Arab states of North Africa and the Middle
East. AK-47s have also been produced in many of these
countries.

In addition, the Kalashnikov has heavily influenced arms designs
in Finland, Israel, and South Africa. Although undoubtedly the most
successful, Kalashnikov's was not the first Russian/Soviet
automatic rifle. Tsarist arms designer Vladimir Gregoryevich
Fedorov introduced his selective-fire Avtomaticheskaya Vintovka
Fedorova, 1916g (Fedorov Automatic Rifle, Model 1916) during the
First World War. Fedorov rejected the Moisin Nagant 7.62x54mm
rimmed cartridge, then the standard of the Russian Army, in favor
of the smaller Japanese 6.5x50mm semi-rimless cartridge, which was
more suitable for automatic fire.

Although some Fedorov Avtomat rifles were used by Tsarist
troops, regular production of these arms did not begin until 1919.
Aside from being difficult to produce, the Fedorov experienced
problems when subjected to battlefield use. Fewer than 5,000 were
turned out before manufacturing ceased in 1925.

After the October Revolution and the civil war that followed,
the new Soviet government continued the search for a suitable
automatic rifle. Prior to the Great Patriotic War, designers Sergei
Gavrilovich Simonov and F. V. Tokarev submitted selective-fire
rifles chambered in 7.62x54mmR, which Communist Party officials had
opted to use as their standard cartridge. The Tokarev proved to be
the most reliable and was adopted under the designation
Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva 1938g (Tokarev Self-loading Rifle,
Model 1938).

The SVT38 proved to be heavy, difficult to manufacture, and less
reliable under field conditions than the Red Army desired. Tokarev
modified his design, which was then re-designated the SVT40. These
rifles became one of the standard combat arms of Soviet forces
during the Second World War, but they were little improved from the
earlier SVT38. The search for a new automatic rifle continued.

During this period, development continued on another front as
well. Soviet pistols also chambered a 7.62mm cartridge, and a
family of submachine guns emerged which made use of this
ammunition. The first of these was the PPD, which had been
developed before the war. Featuring a non-detachable wood
buttstock, this design was very similar in appearance to the German
MP18, but was also very expensive to manufacture.

After the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, a new submachine
gun designed by Georgi Shpagin made its appearance. Of simple
construction and crude finish, this wooden-stocked
blowback-operated arm, designated PPSh41, utilized either a
25-round box or 71-round drum magazine. These arms could be
manufactured quickly and inexpensively, but were extremely
effective in combat. They quickly became a favorite among the
soldiers of the Red Army, and by the war's end, approximately 5
million PPSh41 submachine guns had emerged from Soviet
factories.

The last of this family of submachine guns was the PPS, which
was adopted in 1943. These arms were of steel construction and
included a folding metal buttstock similar to that used by the
MP38/40. The drum magazine was dropped in favor of a 35-round
detachable box magazine. Although later replaced by other designs,
the PPSh41 and PPS continued in service throughout the 1950s, and
some remained in the arsenals of the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact
allies even longer. Soviet bureaucrats, perhaps noting the success
of the German MP38/40 and StG44, the American M1 Carbine, and even
their own PPSh41 and PPS, all of which were chambered for
reduced-power cartridges, made a significant policy change in
ordering the development of a similar cartridge suitable for use in
this type of firearm.

The resulting cartridge, designated M43, also employed a 7.62mm
bullet, but unlike its predecessor, its 39mm case was both short
and rimless. Having adopted a new cartridge, defense officials
directed that design bureaus develop a new automatic rifle as well.
The most promising design which chambered the new 7.62x39mm round
was submitted by S. G. Simonov, a former machinist who had risen to
become both a Master Gunsmith and mechanical engineer under the
Communist regime. This gas-operated rifle had several limitations,
among which was its non-detachable magazine.

Most significant was its semi-automatic-only capability, a
feature that contributed to its replacement within a very few
years. Even with its deficiencies, the wartime emergency led to the
decision to produce these arms for use on the Byelorussian Front,
where they found favor with Soviet troops. After modification,
these arms were adopted and designated Samozaryadnyi Karabin
sistemi Simonova obrazets 1945g, or SKS45, as they are more
commonly known. Later adopted by the People's Republic of China as
the Type 56 Carbine, the SKS was manufactured in quantity in the
Soviet Union, China, North Korea, East Germany, and Yugoslavia.

The SKS was widely used by North Vietnamese and Vietcong troops,
and by various rebel and irregular forces around the world, and
they are still encountered as second-line arms. Many of these
carbines have also been imported into the United States. Within a
few years of its adoption, the SKS had been replaced by Mikhail
Kalashnikov's AK-47. Although possessing only the equivalent of a
high school education, Kalashnikov had an aptitude for mechanical
design.

After working on the Turkestan-Siberian Railroad, he was drafted
into the Red Army in 1938 at the age of 19. He trained as an
armorer before the war, then served as a tank crewman and was
severely wounded in combat. During his recovery, the young soldier
began avidly studying books on firearms design and manufacturer.
While continuing his convalescence near his home in the city of
Alma Alta, Kazakhstan, U.S.S.R., he designed a submachine gun that
he later fabricated with the help of a machinist friend. He then
gained the sponsorship of a local Communist official, who made
arrangements for him to continue his work on the new arm.

Although his design was not significantly superior to the PPS,
his obvious talent was apparent to military ordnance officials.
Consequently, he was assigned to the Red Army's proving grounds at
Ensk, where he met and worked with Simonov and other designers.
This experience further enriched Kalashnikov's knowledge and
abilities. In addition to minor design responsibilities, he
developed both a series of improvements for machine guns, and a new
rifle, which was later competed unsuccessfully against the SKS45
for adoption by the nation's armed forces.

After the war, the Soviets continued the search for an
acceptable selective-fire battle rifle. Once again, Kalashnikov
returned to the drawing board and developed a new gas-operated
design chambered for the M43 cartridge and based in part on
previous battle-tested U.S. and German arms, including the M1
Garand, M1 Carbine, and StG44. This rifle showed sufficient promise
that its inventor was given approval to build several prototypes.
Along with his small team of draftsmen, machinists, and armorers,
Kalilshnikov continued work on his design.

His finished product made use of sheet metal stampings and
rivets where possible, coupled with a curved 30-round detachable
magazine, an over-the-barrel gas tube, and oversized bolt which
provided for dependable function under adverse conditions and
reliable extraction of spent cartridge casings even when fouled.
Designated the Avtomat Kalashnikova obrazets 1947g, the original
AK-47 design featured a non-detachable wooden buttstock, but
subsequent models also utilized a folding metal stock. A lighter
and more durable version, known as the AKM, was introduced in
1959.

The RPK light machine gun also stems from Kalashnikov's basic
design. Kalashnikov later applied his talents and features of the
AK-47 to the design of the Dragunov sniper rifle and PKM light
machine gun, both of which chamber the 7.62x54mmR cartridge. One of
the most recent additions to the AK family is the AK-74 battle
rifle, which bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor but
features several changes to accommodate the smaller 5.45x39mm
cartridge.

The basic Kalashnikov design has been adapted for use in
non-military arms including shotguns and sporting rifles. Mikhail
Kalashnikov is a hero in his homeland, and has received the highest
decorations that a grateful nation could bestow. His name and his
arms designs have also become famous around the world. The AK-47
and its successors have become the most successful and
widely-produced battle rifles in history. Manufactured both in the
Soviet Union and in other Communist nations, production estimates
range as high as 50 million. The mainstay of military forces in the
Communist world, they have been adopted by over fifty other nations
as well.

As with the SKS, the AK-47 and AKM have also been supplied to an
international clientele that includes groups other than recognized
governments and organizations. In addition, the Kalashnikov rifle
has been adopted and adapted by other nations, and has spawned both
the Israeli Galil and Finnish Valmet military rifles. Although the
Russian government has recently adopted a new rifle to replace the
earlier Kalashnikov-designed arms, their simplicity, reliability,
and sheer numbers guarantee that they will continue in service for
many years to come.